England missed a trick ignoring South Africa with Borthwick solution snubbed
Let's be frank, England have to do something different if they have any hope of doing anything at this World Cup.
But, let's be frank again, Steve Borthwick is the most risk averse head coach going and he's hardly likely to roll the dice in the knockout stages. Give him a chance though, say he does fancy mixing it up, what does he do with a squad that possesses one out and out No 8?
The decision raised alarm bells when Billy Vunipola was named as the only player in that position. Alex Dombrandt, a regular for years, was overlooked, as was Tom Willis, who had just shone for Bordeaux in the Top 14. Before all that though Zach Mercer was snubbed from the World Cup training squad.
A man who moved to Gloucester with the ambition of reigniting his international career didn't make the cut. You could be forgiven for thinking England were spoilt for choice at the back of the scrum, saying no to a man who'd beaten Antoine Dupont and Gregory Alldritt to be named the best player in the French league little over a year ago.
Argentina aside, England have been average at best in this World Cup. Chile were beaten, as expected, but Borthwick's side made hard work of Japan and Samoa. An injury to Jack Willis, heartbreaking though it was, opened the door for England to add another dynamic to their back row by bringing in a replacement.
Mercer is sat on his sofa in Gloucester preparing for a clash with Harlequins next week. Instead though he could've been preparing for a World Cup quarter-final, bringing with him the dynamism and quality that led Montpellier to the French title 16 months ago.
Borthwick though opted for Sam Underhill, a natural flanker, leaving either Vunipola to reprise his role as No 8 or spin the wheel by playing Ben Earl there. Either way an opportunity has been missed. Contrast that to South Africa, the current world champions.
Zach Mercer excelled as Montpellier won the French title in 2022For all their power in the opening rounds, the Springboks clearly had an issue goal kicking. Manie Libbock, Damian Willemse and Faf de Klerk can all do a job but missed opportunities from the tee meaning they lost to Ireland. And so they call upon Handre Pollard, the man who kicked them to glory four years ago, when an injury came about.
They've opted to stick with one hooker, replacing Malcom Marx with Pollard in something of a gamble, but a decision that will help aid the area that they were otherwise falling short. England though go like for like. If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always go, as the saying goes.
If so, don't expect England to have any new look to them this weekend. Mercer himself, whilst humble, made it known that the perception of the French league in England is far from the truth. He also dismissed the idea that he's not got the physicality of other players in his position.
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After being overlooked by Borthwick, Mercer told the Times : “I play the game very differently to a lot of No 8s in England, and in the world. I’m not the stereotypical No 8 as some would say. So I understand it if you want to play differently. Obviously the back row is really competitive, so I knew I was never guaranteed. Steve wanted to go down a different route with how he wanted the back row to play and who he wanted.”
The Gloucester new boy wasn't named in the World Cup squadHe went on to add: “I’ll be brutally honest, the Top 14 isn’t shown enough on telly in England. People don’t understand how physical that league is, how tough it is. No one does unless you watch it there, have been in France, or played in the Top 14.
“I played 60 games in two years. It’s a long season. It’s hard to fight with the critics. I’ll always have that perception, and it’s not about changing it as I know I’m not that player, and I know what I can do, what I have done."
Vunipola in his peak was quite the player, but few would argue he remains at that level now. Even if he does, Borthwick has to have another way of playing and Mercer would offer that. The England game plan at the moment is getting no one off their seats and no opposition coach is staying up past 10pm worrying about what it could offer.
Henry Arundell, the scorer of five tries against Chile, overlooked. Max Malins, the Premiership's top try scorer in 2022, barely getting a look-in. Mercer, a man lauded in France, the best league in Europe by a country mile, not even considered. You'd be forgiven for thinking England were world champions in waiting.
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